GENEVA - Western aid agencies in eastern Zaire were ordered by local officials to suspend aid work yesterday for 160,000 Rwandan Hum refugees, the UN refugee agency said. There is fighting between rebels and Zairean troops close to the refugee camp.
UNHCR would meet officials in the Lubutu area to try to clarify the situation, Ms Pamela O'Toole of UNHCR said.
"The situation is precarious. The refugees are in desperate need. If there are any kind of restrictions, it could cause tremendous problems," she told a Geneva briefing.